Page 43 of Return to Me Always

I offered him a small smile. "Thanks. That's really kind of you."

"I know he'd do the same for me."

"Would he really, though?" I asked without even thinking.

"Abso-bloody-lutely," he said, not a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "Is that the problem? You're having doubts about Tyler?"

Sighing, I stretched out my neck, trying to ease some stress. "I guess. Yeah. I just worry that we made a big mistake by running. It was Tyler's idea. I wanted to go to the police."

"But Malcolmisthe police. I can't tell you how often I've seen him on the news or read his quotes in the papers. He's the one who set you up, right?"

"Right," I said, shivers running down my body as a cool breeze came off the lake.

"Well, that bastard always gave me the creeps, and now I know why."

"What do you mean?" I asked, staring at Ben's stark expression.

"If he's the one that set you up, well then,he'sprobably the one who killed that guy. And that's bloody terrifying."

I hadn't thought about that, but he was right of course. Why hadn't that even occurred to me?

Ben ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "And if he's capable of doing all that, I can't even imagine what he'd do if he got a hold of you."

I shuddered, wrapping my arms tighter around myself. "I suppose you're right."

"Damn right, I'm right." Ben bobbed up and down on his feet. "I'm with Tyler on this one. I can't even imagine what Malcolm would do if you turned yourself in. He's a bloody cop. He could doanything. He could have Tyler killed in jail and have you disappear forever."

And I thought I had a crazy imagination.

"Or he could have youbothkilled. Or he could have a creepy basement where you're tied up forever. Or—"

"Hey, Ben." Tyler suddenly appeared. "Could you haud yer wheesht?"

Hold your what?Was that the Scottish way to say shut up?

"Maybe try not to give the lass any more nightmares?" Tyler added.

Ben looked down. "Aw, I'm sorry, Kat. I was just having a freak-out for you."

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, I tried to exhale all those mental images. "That's okay. I get it."

"Ryder, I made you some hot chocolate if you'd like."

He did? "Really?"

"Aye. It's ready whenever you're done." And with that, Tyler turned to head back to camp.

After he disappeared, Ben stared at me in the dim light cast from the stars. "I amreallysorry about that."

"It's fine. I'm actually glad you spelled it out for me. Because that means wedidmake the right choice."

"You did. You definitely did," he said in a soft voice.

Well, I hadn't really made a choice. I had kind of been dragged into it, but I supposed if I had really wanted to, I could have turned myself in at any point. And something had always stopped me. Not hard to guess what that something was.

"And you know what else, Kat?" Ben asked, drawing my attention away from the still waters of the lake.

"What?"

---